Controlling wireless, low-power radio frequency network

Abstract

A method for controlling a wireless, low-power radio frequency network, and a control device, the network comprising a control device arranged as a master device and at least one slave device subordinated thereto. The master device is arranged to convey control data to the slave device and to receive detection data from the slave device. A data transmission connection is established between the master device and an external terminal via a second telecommunication network, in the master device the received detection data are arranged into a format required by the data transmission protocol used in the data transmission connection to be forwarded to the external terminal and control data from the external terminal to the master device for controlling at least one slave device is conveyed in the format required by the data transmission protocol used on the transmission connection.

1 . A method for controlling a wireless, low-power radio frequency network, which comprises a master device and at least one slave device subordinated thereto, the master device being configured to convey control data to said at least one slave device and to receive detection data from said at least one slave device, the method comprising 
 establishing a data transmission connection between the master device and an external terminal via a second telecommunication network,    arranging said received detection data in the master device into a format required by a transmission protocol used in said transmission connection for being conveyed to said external terminal, and    conveying control data from said external terminal device to the master device in the format required by the transmission protocol used in said transmission connection for controlling said at least one slave device.    
     
     
         2 . A method as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising 
 arranging in the master device said detection data into a format required by a graphic browser specification, such as HTML or WML, and    controlling devices subordinated to the master device from a hypertext page according to said graphic browser specification by the external terminal.    
     
     
         3 . A method as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising 
 establishing an Internet connection from said at least one slave device via the master device and the external telecommunication network.    
     
     
         4 . A method as claimed in  claim 3 , further comprising 
 using the Internet connection established by the master as a Internet connection shared between a plurality of devices in response to a second slave device establishing an Internet connection.    
     
     
         5 . A method as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising 
 authenticating in the master device said slave devices and the external terminal in response to the first connection establishment to the master device.    
     
     
         6 . A method as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising 
 converting wireless voice calls between the master device and said at least one slave device into a voice call format of an external telecommunication network in the master device to be transmitted beyond the low-power network and    converting a call of an external network format voice call destined for said at least one slave device in the master device to be transmitted wirelessly in the voice call format of the low-power network.    
     
     
         7 . A method as claimed in  claim 6 , further comprising 
 collecting identification data of the slave devices of at least one wireless low-power radio frequency network to said terminal and    controlling the call from the terminal to a slave device to be routed to the corresponding radio frequency network on the basis of said identification data.    
     
     
         8 . A method as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising 
 establishing a data transmission connection between the master device and an external storing means,    storing said detection data in said external storing means, establishing an interactive data transmission connection between said external storing means and said external terminal, and    updating control data for said external storing means and master device in response to said external terminal conveying control data to said external storing means.    
     
     
         9 . A method as claimed in  claim 8 , further comprising 
 storing said detection data also in a buffer memory of the lowpower radio frequency network.    
     
     
         10 . A wireless low-power radio network control device, which is configured to be a network master device and to convey control data to at least one slave device belonging to said network and to receive detection data from said at least one slave device, the control device comprising 
 means for establishing a telecommunication connection to an external terminal via a second telecommunication network,    means for arranging said detection data into a format required by the data transmission protocol used in said data transmission connection, and means for handling the control data received from said external    terminal and for forwarding them to said at least one slave device.    
     
     
         11 . A control device as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein the control device further comprises 
 means for arranging said detection data into a format required by a graphic browser specification, such as HTML or WML, and    means for controlling the slave devices according to commands received from the external terminal's hypertext page according to said graphic browser specification.    
     
     
         12 . A control device as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein the control device further comprises 
 means for establishing a telecommunication connection to a plurality of external telecommunication networks which networks comprise at least some of the following: a public wired telephone network (PSTN/ISDN), a public mobile network (GSM, UMTS) an ADSL network, a local area network.    
     
     
         13 . A control device as claimed in  claim 12 , further comprising 
 means for establishing an Internet connection to said at least one slave device via said radio network and external telecommunication network.    
     
     
         14 . A control device as claimed in  claim 13 , further comprising 
 means for sharing said Internet connection between a plurality of devices in response to a second slave device requesting for an Internet connection.    
     
     
         15 . A control device as claimed in  claim 10 , further comprising 
 authenticating means for identifying said slave devices and external terminals in response to their first connection establishment to the control device.    
     
     
         16 . A control device as claimed in  claim 10 , further comprising 
 converting means for converting voice calls between the control device and said at least one slave device into a voice call format of an external telecommunication network to be conveyed beyond said low-power network, and    converting means for conveying a call, which is in a voice call format of an external telecommunication network and destined for at least one slave device, wirelessly into a converted voice call format of said low-power network.    
     
     
         17 . A control device as claimed in  claim 10 , further comprising 
 connecting means for attaching a local terminal in a wireless or wired manner to the control device, by which terminal it is possible to control the control device according to commands from the hypertext page according to the graphic browser specification.    
     
     
         18 . A control device as claimed in  claim 17 , wherein 
 the means for establishing an external or local terminal connection are either integrated in the control device or implemented as attachable modules.    
     
     
         19 . A control device as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein the control device is configured 
 to establish a data transmission connection to the external storing means,    to store said detection data in said external storing means, and    to update control data transmitted from said external terminal via said external storing means.    
     
     
         20 . A control device as claimed in  claim 19 , wherein the control device is further configured 
 to store said detection data in a buffer memory included in said lowpower radio frequency network.